August Newsletter 2025
Goodbye Summer, Hello Fall
Ah, Labor Day, the unofficial end of summer.
At least that is what Labor Day is known for in some circles. For you curious types, the official end of summer this year will be September 22, also known as the autumn equinox.
We do love fall, though, so we are off and running.
In the spirit of Labor Day, we thought we would provide some fun facts you may not know.
We can thank labor unrest in the American Midwest for the creation of Labor Day. Way back in the 1880s, thousands of workers in Chicago took to the streets to protest poor labor conditions and to demand an 8-hour workday.
The first holiday created due to labor unrest was actually May 1st, or the date of the European spring festival of May Day. The International Workers Congress held in Paris in 1889 established the Second International for labor, socialist, and Marxist parties.
Now called International Workers’ Day, it is celebrated on the first of May.
Here in the United States, we celebrate our version on the first Monday in September every year. While there have been efforts to move our holiday to May 1, they have been unsuccessful to date.
So, in 1894, Labor Day was created in our country. It is remarkable to note that while Labor Day was considered a conciliatory gesture to organized labor, it wasn’t until 1938 that the Fair Labor Standards Act limited child labor, set a minimum wage, and mandated a shorter workweek, with overtime pay for longer shifts.
By the 1940s, the average workweek had fallen to five eight-hour days, which is our current standard.
In short, the history of Labor Day is deeper than barbecues and gatherings; it was born as the first volley from overworked laborers to industry, and it stands today as a tribute to treating workers fairly.
For a great timeline of this interesting holiday, check out this history.com article, good stuff for sure.
More locally, we do our best to take great care of our workforce and are so lucky to have our dedicated team of professionals in your homes each week.
This year, Labor Day occurs on September 1st. We hope you have an opportunity to recharge and spend time with family and friends. We will be closed, reopening on Tuesday, the 2nd.
Happy Labor Day!
Bedbugs in Colorado
Those nasty-looking critters shown above are indeed bedbugs.
Only as small as an apple seed (4-5MM), these little guys can be challenging to get rid of.
Each year, Orkin publishes its list of bedbug infestations by metro area, and Denver ranked 14th. The list is based on both commercial and residential treatment data from metro areas between May 15, 2024, and May 14, 2025.
Who has the worst case of bedbugs? Chicago leads the way, holding the ignominious distinction of remaining number one year over year.
Cleveland, Detroit, Los Angeles, and Indianapolis round out the “worst 5” cities in the U.S.
Syracuse was the least infested area of the 50 major metros that were studied.
From the article on Orkin’s site, “Bed bugs are some of the most resilient pests in the world, making them extremely difficult to control if brought into a home or hotel,” said Ben Hottel, Orkin entomologist. “As summer travel picks up, it is critical that people know the best ways to identify, prevent, and control these pests.”
So, what does that mean for you?
The good news is that our ladies are well-trained in looking for all types of pests, including this stubborn one. Year to date, we are happy to report that we haven’t had any sightings.
That doesn’t mean that we have never seen them, and if we do, it becomes a very serious situation, as we are in multiple homes each day.
Rest assured that if we do, you will get a call from Angela immediately.
Frequent travelers are at the greatest risk, as these little guys love to travel and will hitch a ride home with you if you aren’t careful.
Orkin published a great checklist on how to prevent this from happening, and it is the SLEEP acronym as follows:
During travel, remember the acronym S.L.E.E.P. to inspect for bed bugs:
- Search the room for signs of infestation, looking for bed bugs, which are small, flat, oval-shaped insects that are brown and about the size of an apple seed. Other signs of bed bugs include ink-like stains on fabrics, shed exoskeletons around furniture and a sweet, musty smell.
- Lift sheets, curtains and cushions to check for bed bugs or signs of bed bugs.
- Elevate your luggage onto racks and keep it away from the bed or other furniture.
- Examine your luggage carefully while repacking and again when you return home.
- Place all dryer-safe clothing from your luggage in the dryer for 30 to 45 minutes at the highest heat setting upon returning home.
The full report, along with mitigation and other tips and tricks, can be found here.
As with many problems, awareness is the first step, and we hope you never encounter this resilient little bug.
Always Running Late? Here’s Why
We might be “time blind”.
Actually, we are usually pretty punctual, but we have our moments.
We also have certain people in our lives who never seem to be on time.
For those folks, we have good news. It is entirely possible that your tardiness is not associated with laziness or any other character flaw.
It may just be a case of “time blindness”.
When we saw this headline, we had to investigate, so here we go.
From the Cleveland Clinic, “Time blindness” refers to the inability to recognize when time has passed or to estimate how long something will take.”
“Dr. Manos says time blindness isn’t a diagnosis or a specific symptom; it’s more just a general way of talking about the phenomenon of losing track of time. And it can be more extreme for some people.”
“Everybody has time blindness at times,” Dr. Manos says. “We all can get caught up in something and get ‘in the zone.’ Some people with ADHD, though, are more prone to having difficulty being able to judge how long something will take to do or to lose track of time.”
The article goes on to describe how our brains shift from two types of attention, automatic and directed.
Time blindness occurs during automatic attention. A great example is when you are engaged with something that you really enjoy and “lose track of time”.
Some tips to overcome “time blindness” are also part of this article and they are here.
We also ran across another article here, courtesy of Fox News that goes deeper into the topic.
This topic certainly made us more aware of how and why many of us lose track of time, and we hope it helps you as well!
Colorado Renter Protections
We clean homes and condos for lots of renters. We also clean homes for landlords across the Front Range.
Now and then, we hear horror stories, from both sides, about how the landlord/tenant relationship can go south.
In that spirit, we thought we would provide a primer on what is allowed in our fine state, as well as some things that other states have done to protect both parties.
Most folks think that landlords can decline to renew leases arbitrarily and we were surprised to hear that this is not 100% true.
When things get really bad, we also thought that evicting someone was pretty straightforward. Read on to learn that is not always the case.
The first term we came across was “good cause evictions”.
As of July 2025, five states—California, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Oregon, and Washington—have statewide “good cause” or “just cause” eviction laws, with Colorado and New York enacting similar legislation in 2024, and several other states and municipalities considering them.
These laws prevent landlords from evicting tenants or refusing to renew their leases without a specific, valid reason, aiming to increase housing stability by prohibiting arbitrary, retaliatory, or discriminatory evictions.
Colorado does not presently have a restrictive “good cause” stipulation between tenant and landlord.
The law in Colorado protects tenants in that the landlord is required to provide habitable housing, This includes obvious things like structural integrity, adequate plumbing and electrical and a pest-free environment.
Landlords are also required to return security deposits in a timely manner, and allow early termination of leases under certain conditions.
Colorado has some pretty strict rules for eviction as well, those can be found here.
We certainly hope you are on neither end of any evictions, and we also hope this article has shed some light on this tricky topic.
What is “Job Hugging”?
Back in another life, we once went on a corporate retreat.
It involved lots of things, including hugging and “trust falls“.
When we saw the term “job hugging,” we immediately flashed back, but that is not what this term refers to.
In fact, this term broke our paradigm about younger people and job hopping.
Job hugging is precisely the opposite of that, and it seems that Gen Z is embracing it, no pun intended.
From the article we found on Fast Company, “At an alarming rate, more and more employees are displaying what is colloquially known as ‘job hugging’—which is to say, holding onto their jobs for dear life,” the report reads.”
“Just a few years ago, job hopping—or moving from company to company in search of the next best opportunity—was trending among employees, especially younger workers looking to climb the corporate ladder. Now, though, the opposite is true.”
In fact, AI, a lack of new jobs and our unpredictable economy seem to be driving a new approach, especially in younger workers.
At Denver Concierge, we never worry too much about turnover, as our folks have generally been with us a very long time.
We sure hope that is due to the way we treat them, and also the fact that they are working in the best homes in Denver.
For that, we thank you.
The full rundown on this new job trend from Fast Company can be found here.
Forbes also featured this concept in a recent article, and it can be found here.
Maybe some good news for employers, but in our experience, there is no substitute for taking great care of your people.
We strive to do that every day.
Monthly Award Winners
Our monthly award winners for July were Patricia Rodriguez, Josefina Quinonez, Aurora Dominguez, Concepcion Reyes, and Yesica Censo.
In the Team Leader ranks, Mayra Soto and Isela Mendoza led the way.
We are so proud of our winners and of all the folks who are in and out of your homes each week.
We are also very appreciative of being a part of your lives and your homes. You provide the platform for our teams to perform, and for that we are grateful.
Please join me in congratulating our best performers for the month of July.
Queen Bee Corner
by Angela
We would like to mark this Labor Day in the Queen Bee forum by honoring our Denver Concierge employees.
In reality, we honor our employees every day by adhering to the core principles we see as the most important in our employees’ work lives, as follows:
Respect
We are not above ending a relationship with a client for disrespectful or inappropriate behavior toward any of our ladies. Nor will we ever tolerate disrespect in any form towards our clients. Mutual respect is our bedrock.
Safety
Our fleet is made up of new vehicles equipped with all the accoutrements to keep the occupants safe in bad weather. We are also 100% all-wheel-drive, so our ladies are sure to arrive safely in climate-controlled comfort.
Well-being
Our products are chosen for their clean, simple, and non-toxic attributes. That allows the ladies to do their work efficiently without a plethora of supplies or concerns about allergens or toxins.
Appreciation
We know on a grassroots level that house cleaning is tedious, even in the nicest houses, with the best products, with compatible workmates. Appreciation is uplifting, and we try to show it consistently to our hard-working staff.
Communication
We always welcome any discourse or conversation, questions, or concerns. Communication is the glue that has created the cohesive and united workforce that has held steady over several decades.
Many thanks to our lovely Cleaning Associates and Team Leaders, who on a daily basis, do such a wonderful job representing Denver Concierge.
Happy Labor Day!
Bee
Memory loss isn’t random—it’s the result of specific, often preventable factors.”
